Video

Video by Capt. Jennifer French

History of the 1-91 Cavalry Regiment

173rd Airborne Brigade

Feb. 5, 2025 | 1:16

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — The 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment (Airborne) traces its lineage back to the early mechanized reconnaissance units of the U.S. Army, evolving through decades of transformation and global deployments.

The regiment was originally constituted in the Regular Army on Oct. 16, 1928, from the 1st Armored Car Troop as Troop A of the 1st Armored Car Squadron. It was initially assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division and stationed at various posts, including Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, Fort Holabird, Maryland, and Fort Bliss, Texas. The squadron was later redesignated as the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron on March 1, 1939, before becoming the 91st Reconnaissance Squadron on May 8, 1941.

During World War II, the 91st Reconnaissance Squadron played a crucial role in mechanized reconnaissance, participating in six campaigns across North Africa, Sicily, and Italy while supporting various infantry and armored divisions. As a non-divisional unit under II Corps, it was the oldest and most experienced mechanized reconnaissance squadron in the Army at the time.

Following the war, the unit underwent multiple reorganizations, becoming the 91st Reconnaissance Battalion in 1950 and the 91st Armored Cavalry Reconnaissance Battalion in 1953. It was deactivated on June 23, 1953, but reactivated decades later as the 1st Squadron (Airborne), 91st Cavalry Regiment on June 8, 2006, in Schweinfurt, Germany. This reactivation aligned with the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s transition to the Army’s modular force structure, marking the first time its colors had been flown since World War II.

Designated "Task Force Saber," 1-91 Cavalry Regiment deployed three times to Afghanistan’s Regional Command East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. From 2007 to 2013, the squadron operated in Nuristan, Kunar, Nangarhar, Paktika, and Logar provinces. After returning to Germany in 2013, the unit relocated from Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt to Tower Barracks in Grafenwöhr, shifting its mission focus to airborne operations, NATO support, and multinational training exercises.

Since then, 1-91 Cavalry Regiment has conducted operations across Europe and the Middle East, including participation in NATO exercises such as Operation Steadfast Jazz, Operation Atlantic Resolve, and Operation Saber Junction. In June 2021, a detachment deployed in support of the Global War on Terror as part of Operation Atlantic Sentry.

Today, 1-91 Cavalry Regiment remains the only Airborne Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Squadron within the U.S. Army’s European, Middle East, and Africa area of responsibility, continuing its legacy of global readiness and strategic deterrence.

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(Video by Capt. Jennifer French)